7 Seater Suv

We have a Honda Pilot. If my husband was open to the minivan suggestion, I would STRONGLY suggest that instead. Sliding doors with toddlers are so much easier than doors that they can open into other people. And, accessing the rear seats can be tricky unless you go with one like the Acadia/Traverse/Enclave that has captains seats in the middle as an option (but, you end-up sacrificing cargo space in the process).

Before you discount some cars, ask the dealership where the latches are. My husband and I both used to be sales reps with company cars. Though mine was much larger (Ford Taurus vs. Chevy impala), the latches on mine were much closer together making 3 car seats across the back almost impossible. It would have been with his car.

Also, we just learned that our son at 41 lbs/41 inches is OK to move to a booster which will hopefully eliminate a lot of the concern about latches, etc.

Good luck.

Oh, and our Pilot gets AWFUL gas mileage. We're lucky to get 16 mpg per tank.

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I know this isn't what you are asking, but I LOVE my Toyota Sienna and wouldn't trade it for any SUV. My cousin has an SUV and her kids have climb over the seats to get into the way back, my car has way more storage space when all the seats are up and mine is significantly more comfortable then her Tahoe. Plus the Sienna is made for families with families in mind. It has a mirror that comes out above the rear view mirror, a bunch of cup holders, places to put little odds and ends, auto doors (which I found priceless when caring a bunch of stuff plus the baby carries).
Just had to add my two cents.

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I used to drive a minivan (Chevy Venture) and now drive an SUV (Buick Enclave). We have 3 children that are now 8, 6, and almost 3. While I do love my Enclave, I soooo miss my minivan. It was by far the most family friendly car! It was so convenient to load the kids up and ANY additional cargo we had. Whether it was a big old double stroller for going to the mall or if it was enough stuff for a long vacation, it all fit in the van. We did a road trip this summer in the Enclave and had to lay down 1/2 the back seat to fit our stuff and we still had a bunch in the main area of the car with us. The trunk really holds very little. Even when I go to the grocery store I can only get everything in back if I stack the light bags on top of the heavy bags. but then of course, everything falls over.

Anyway, if you do stick with the SUV I do like the Enclave (even though I seemed to really bash it above) but the minivan puts the SUV's to shame for convenience with a family.

Good luck,
K.

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I have a Chevrolet Suburban and LOVE it. Mileage is equal to or better then the Chrysler Town N Country I had before this. I should mention I have 4 children under the age of 5, so the back bench has two boosters and the front bucket seats each have a car seat and booster. It is a 7 passanger car, but because of the car seats, only a tiny person would squeeze between the boosters in the back seat. As for storage... I easily fit my DOUBLE stroller and groceries in the truck. I keep bins back there to keep things from moving all over the car (plus I can fit 5 grocery bags in one tub, so I make less trips when carrying groceries!). The storage space is plenty.. I never encounterd a probelm. We even went on a road trip and had tghe double stroller, a single stroller and 3 suitcases in the trunk... we fit a cooler between the two bucket seats in the middle.. and the car has a DVD player, which is AWESOME for families. Yes, we listen to Dora, or whatever they're watching, but it's so much better then listening to them fighting LOL. Also, the seats do all fold down, so if we do have a large purchase, my husband can go to home depot and delivery it to our home without paying for a rental.

The one thing that took getting used to going from a minivan to my Suburban was the height. The SUV sits higher then the minivan, so you have to step on a step to get into the car. When my kids were younger and I had to buckle them in, I foung this annoying, because I'd have to stand on the step to reach their buckle. Now that they buckle themselves. its not porblem.

And parking this bus took some practice too :0)

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Hi K.!
I think I wrote this on someone else's response but here goes. The Toyota Sienna is the best big minivan out there. I have had the first one, the Previa and now the Sienna. Change the oil and the vans have been running since 1991 and 2006 respectively. I have 3 kids and they are pretty large too! My husband is 6'3" and 240 pounds so you get the idea. (The Odyssey was too small inside.)
SUV vs minivan is that the doors on the minivan retract where the SUV back doors swing open and when you have kids, they tend to swing the doors open and right into another car! Gas mileage is way better than a SUV too. But I know there are parents out there who swear by never driving a minivan! Why? To 'look' cool? Not very economical nor convenient, that's for sure!!
Players on my kids basketball team come inside the van to talk and eat. Seven of them sitting there eating and talking during a tournament with enough space to have basketballs (6) and an ice chest in the back! To and from San Jose to Sacramento in a weekend without filling up during a tournament too. So that's driving up and back and to and from the hotel to the gyms and restaurants on one tank of gas!! Just to give you an idea.
Anyway, I hope this helps!

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Chevy Suburban.

Fits 8 really, ours fits 9 b/c we went with the front bench seat...just in case. Plenty of room for everyone plus lots of storage...but more importantly it drives SO nice! You and hubby should test drive one before you make up your mind.

Hubby and I have 4 boys ages 18,15,6&4 and a girl age 2...so that's 2 teenage boys, 2 boosters and a carseat plus us 2 adults...just got back from vacation and both hubby and I talked about our "smart" choice we made in buying it! We are planning on driving it till it dies! We looked at EVERYTHING there was when we were buying (but that was 5 years ago) and the suburban was our very favorite...drive it! You will see!

Hi K.
When I read this, I couldn't stop smiling. - We were in the same "boat" until Last Friday when we finally found the SUV we wanted :-) We have a 2 year old and are expecting twins in November, so I had to trade in my beloved Audi Station wagon with either a mini-van or a huge SUV. Since I am one of "those" parents who swears off mini-vans (personal preference - nothing to do with the actual functionality of a mini-van), the decision fell on getting a SUV. And due to having the need to haul around with a double stroller and potentially a single stroller + all the other "crab" that one takes when going driving with infants, we decided to only look at the big sized SUVs. We narrowed it down to the following make/models; Ford Expedition w. 3rd row option, Cadillac Escalade w. 3rd row option and Nissan Armada w. 3rd row option. After test driving all 3 and looking at what is available within our price range, we found that we could get the lowest miles/newest car with the Nissan Armada. I have measured the width of the 2nd row seats and it should be able to fit 3 Britax Boulevard car seats next to each other. The only down side about the Armada is that it does not come with latches in the middle seat on the 2nd row, so that car seat will have to be installed using the seat belt. I believe only the Ford Expedition had latches on all three seats across on the 2nd row. (Not even the Toyota Sequoia has latches on all 3 seats).
I like the Armada even though it is huge and seriously does not handle like my Audi Station wagon, it still drives decent and it has some extra pull when needing to pick up speed compared to the other 2 which felt very dull to drive (both my husband and I are car enthusiasts and have always had cars with a lot of horsepower).
I would recommend that you take a look at vehix.com to compare different styles/makes/models to determine which one will suit your needs. But make sure you measure your car seats to ensure that you are only looking at SUVs/mini-vans that have enough room for all 3 of them.
Good luck with the car hunt :-)

I had the same exact problem as you. I had the Volvo XC90 and could NOT fit my three car seats in the second row. We bought the Audi Q7 and it does fit my 3 car seats (1 infant one and two big toddler ones.) It also has a third row which gives me some flexibility and extra room for others if needed. The cargo area is huge, fits my double BOB stroller plus my maclaren and more. LOVE this car!

My husband drives a Toyota 4Runner and his backseat fits the car seats as well and the cargo area is a little bigger than the audi. I recommend actually taking your car seats to the dealer and trying them in the car. This is what we did with the Audi... yes a little time consuming but they were more than happy to accommodate us since we might be purchasing a car from them.

We LOVE LOVE our Honda Oddyssey! We have 3 kids under the age of 5 and this is the perfect car for us. You have to get the one with the Navi and the DVD player. The automatic sliding doors are so convenient. I always use the key to open the doors when i have my hands full so the kids can hop on in or if it is raining, i open the doors first and rush in and use the key to close the doors. Everything about this vehicle is so practical down to the shopping bag hooks in the trunk so that your apples dont roll around! The trunk is extra deep and fits two strollers, one for our infant AND the double stroller for our 4 yo and 2.5 yo. We leave the center seat from the second row out so the kids can get into the back easily. The two older ones have their car seats in the back and infant has his in the passenger side of the middle row. We just drove to Disneyland from the Bay Area and had my MIL with us. All our luggage including both strollers fit nicely. I brought the portable potty (potette) and my 4yo who used it twice had plenty of room inside the vehicle to use and we didnt have to stop and she didnt have to wait. It's also so easy for the kids to get in and out of, something I dont think you can say the same for any SUV.

We have a Yukon XL Denali and a Nissan Armada. I drive the Armada and it seats 8, but we have to put a seat down for someone to get in the back. Unless my 5 year old wants to test my patience and climb over the back of the seat :o). The yukon seats 7 with the bucket seats. I prefer the drive of the Armada and the better gas mileage, but the bucket captain seats of the Yukon...and the kids can all 3 get into that one on their own versus the Armada has the higher side handles on the back doors. Either way, we love both of them!

We LOVE our Toyota Highlander... seats 7 and has all the bells and whistles standard (ours is an SE model).

I simply love my Acura MDX!!! Bought it a few years old ("Certified" through a dealership) and have had it over a year. I feel it is a safe, stable and reliable car...and the heated seats, navigation system and back up camera are wonderful!

I, too,used to have a Subaru & loved it dearly! But when we had our second son, we knew we needed more room. I, too, also said I would NEVER drive a minvan & now guess what I have....a Honda Odessey that I absolutely love! We originally looked at SUV's but found that 2nd row of seats very difficult to get to....had to move one seat forward to get there meaning no carseat could ever be in that spot, some SUVs have significantly less leg room in the 2nd row, & then also for some, that 2nd row means less storage space in the trunk area. Since my Subaru was AWD, I was dead set on the Toyota Sienna & getting it in AWD. I drove it, & to be honest, didn't much like it. Drove like a tank, very stiff & the seats were hard to move around. Plus the cost of the Toyota VS the Honda was much higher for less 'stuff.' We drive my Honda to & from S. Ca. several times a year & w/ 2 easy, effortless moves, the second row is down & flat & holds golf clubs, bikes, XMas gifts & luggage & still have room to spare. The biggest thing, when our second son was in the infant seat & I was holding that, along w/diaper bag & my older son's hand, it was so easy to push a button & watch that door slide open & load them both in the car. Plus it has good get-up & go at a dead stop as well as being responsive when I try to speed up on the highway & drives smooth & quiet. I do miss my zippy Subaru & will probably go back to that once our boys are older & I do less carpooling but for now, as you can tell, I am very happy w/my minivan! Happy shopping!

Maybe you don't need a new car. Try the Radian Sunshine Kids car seats. They are really narrow and I can fit three across the back of my 3 series BMW.

Yukon's are pretty good size. They have lots of room. Three seats in the very back, two in the middle, two in the front

My sister & her husband LOVE and are extremely loyal to their TLC's - Toyota Land Cruisers. They have 4 children, 3 of which were in car seats all at the same time. The youngest still is, and the middle two I think may still be in booster seats.

They did (due to his intense interest in off roading and the mechanics of the car) look specifically for a TLC that was from a certain year range - not too old so that it had safety features but not too new so it still had a uhh a one piece thingy down below or something like that. (obviously I'm not a car person like he is, hehe)

My brother and his wife have a Ford Escape & love it - however they only have one child, I don't know that it can handle 3 car seats in a row.

I have the new Honda Pilot and I love it. It has 3 rows (8 seats) and you can easily fit 3 big car seats in the middle row and still have all the storage space in the back. The gas mileage seems good for a SUV, and we take lots of trips in it and always have tons of room for everything. LOVE IT

When my third child arrived we decided to get a Honda Pilot. Of course, this was in 2004. It is a great car with a lot of space and works well off road, too! It is not as easy to load and unload as a minivan if your children are all in car seats. My oldest child always climbed through the rear door rather than fold the seat down. The third row conveniently divides to have a single rider in the back so a lot of cargo can still travel.

I went from a Subarua Outback to a Honda Odessey and love it! However, if you are not in the market for a mini-van, the Honday Pilot is great. The acadia is also nice for that extra row.

We've got a Ford Explorer with a third row, but you do have to fold the middle seat down to get back there......

We have a cross over Chevy Traverse and it holds 8 and is very roomy. We have 2 booster seats and one child old enough not to need a booster anymore and they fit great. Our other SUV is a Chevy Suburban and agin lots of room for 3 kids and all our many things.

We have a Chevrolet Traverse that seats 8 and love it! We have 2 car seats in the middle plus an extra 3rd seat for other passengers. The car seats fit perfectly and there would be more than enough room for another one. It gets really good gas mileage too for an SUV...probably around 24 miles to the gallon. Good Luck with your purchase!

I drive the Volvo XC90. Love it! Have never been happier with a purchase. It extra seats in the back/ third row. The extra seats are small and wouldn't be good for any much larger than 12. The middle has a built in booster. It handles great,it isn't a giant SUV. Very little road noise. We have had it for 5 years, paid it off last month. I think we will keep it for ever. My trip guide says I get 17 miles a gallon. Some pretty good deals on them second hand.

My husband drive the Acura MDX. It is newer and was the SUV of the year when he got it. We don't like it anywhere near as much as the XC90. It is wide so it handles different, harder to park and the road noise drives you crazy.

We did the over seas program and picked it up on Sweden and drove it around Europe for 2 weeks and then they shipped it back. Saw how they were made. Fun Extra!!!

I highly recommend the Honda Pilot. We absolutely love ours, as do all of our neighbors that have one (which are quite a few). GREAT family car, third row of seats, excellent safety rating ... we love it!

I love the toyota sequoia

K.,

I had a minivan for years when my four were little. It was before both side doors opened. I actually told one of the salesmen that there should be another door on the driver's side so I didn't hav e to walk around--he looked at me like I had 3 heads. Then as my kids started playing sports--hockey, football etc--I needed more cargo room. I bought a Suburban. It has driven great--we've had it for 8 or 9 years. Now my second child drives it for her car. I wouldn't feel safe having her drive around in anything else. The gas mileage stinks---but if you aren't using it to commute a long ways to work and back--it's a great vehicle. I always loved it--and it doesn't drive like a truck--even though it's a 4WD. Good luck! I hope this has helped!

K.